On a midnight clear
by Rowe1
Summary: A short angst filled romance for the New Year


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On a midnight clear:

By Rowe!

Disclaimer: I am only inspired by the characters of Dark Angel- their ownership belongs to James Cameron and Fox.

A short angst filled night of the season.

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The music was pumping out. The hip-hop had the people moving. It was still early but the crowds were beginning to pack into Crash. Everyone was cozying up to their honeys or patrolling for new ones. Everyone that was except for the two forlorn looking transgenics propping up the bar. Their friends had made valiant attempts to get them to come join the party but both seemed to be happier left in their own head space.

Max looked down sullenly into her beer. This sucked, life sucked and most of all love sucked. How depressing was it to nearly kill the guy who was supposed to be the love of your life, again. Nearly as depressing as having to admit Alec was right. They were dangerous and she had been kidding herself all along that Logan and her could ever be real. Actually, the reality probably could never have lived up to the fantasy she had created but that was beside the point. Such traitorous thoughts only served to depress her more.

Tonight of all nights it was a real downer. No honey she could squeeze (without putting them in casualty), no one to give a midnight kiss to. Well someone, she turned toward Alec who seemed to be having as grand a night as her sitting miserably contemplating his scotch. She promptly dismissed that idea. Anyway he would be probably defending off a lip lock from every female in the place. So why did he have the right to look so lost and alone? Mr "I'm always alright" looked like someone had stolen his favourite toy.

The mood of excited anticipation was lost on Alec. In his own little world, he contemplated his time out of Manticore. Not big on reflection, he believed it was safer to leave the past in the past, his decision to avoid ordinaries, as he so bluntly explained to Asha, was a sound one. So why did it make him feel so isolated. He hadn't meant to rain on Max's parade with the Log. They had been able to keep their whatever it was or wasn't going for a while now. 

Love wasn't the answer to everything, sometimes it just stuffed everything up in fact. It made no sense but people had fought wars over it and he had been tortured for it. His thoughts turned to the real reason for his melancholy contemplation, Rachel. What was this bullshit about being better to have loved and lost than not at all? Sometimes these sayings made no sense to him. Who would ever want to go through life feeling the pain he felt right at the moment?

His mind segued into his other problem, Max. The attraction had always been there but their growing closer had served to heighten his feelings. He risked a glimpse up the bar. She looked so dejected with her shoulders slumped and hair hanging forward around her drink. He had once cruelly called her a broken toy. That had been out of bitterness at the supposed cure of the virus. The description couldn't have been more apt looking at her now. He felt guilty cause he felt partially to blame for what had transpired between her and Logan. She had walked in on the end of his bitter tirade and he had wanted to warn her, let her see that they were no good to anyone but themselves, a breed apart. His self loathing of that moment had passed but the damage he had done was still haunting all of them.

The hands on the clock slunk steadily around till the hour was nearly upon them.. In unison the two transgenics pushed away from the bar and turned to leave. Both wanted to be away from the frivolity and mayhem about to descend. In the clear air they could cleanse their thoughts and say a private goodbye to the past year of pain and sorrow. Revellers blocked the way to the door cutting of that escape route. In desperation Max turned around to look for an alternative pathway to let her get away from the throng. Then she saw him standing not far away.

As the last 10 seconds to midnight were being counted slowly down, their eyes locked. Something tangible passed between them. A recognition, a realisation, a need. It wasn't the time to analyse- not with the start of something new seconds away. Max took a hesitant step towards him. Alec could be the key to her freedom as she had been his key to the world. She didn't want to be alone any more. They met mutually stopping a few inches apart. Communicating silently that somehow it was all going to be all right. Both sensed for the first time maybe it was.

"Happy New Year" Alec whispered as slowly he pulled her to him and their lips met on the stroke of midnight.


End file.
